Lisandro Martinez's candid comments after Manchester United's 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid have sparked unrest within the squad. Reports from Sky Sports suggest that at least one teammate approached the defender over his outspoken criticism of the club's hierarchy.
Following the disappointing result in the Champions League, Martinez expressed his frustration over the club's summer transfer activity. The Argentine defender indicated he expected more from technical director Jason Wilcox, asserting that the current squad lacks the quality required for such high-stakes matches.
He stated:
I expected more from our technical director.
As players, we also need to do more, but it's vital to have a strong squad ready for nights like this.
When pressed on which positions he felt needed strengthening, Martinez replied:
Overall.
Last season, we laid a good foundation to build a strong team.
Reports indicate that his implication of the current squad's inadequacies particularly irked some of his teammates. Sky Sports has revealed that one player confronted Martinez on the flight home to Manchester, discussing his post-match remarks.
This confrontation was purely verbal — there are no reports of any physical altercations.
Martinez's words also raised eyebrows among the club’s hierarchy, as he effectively shifted some responsibility for the team’s results from manager Michael Carrick to those accountable for squad selection.
Carrick, meanwhile, downplayed the situation after the match, saying:
I haven’t seen his interview.
We are all disappointed, and sometimes he can be quite emotional.
Now is not the time to discuss this publicly. We need to stick together and prepare for the next game.
Martinez's future had already been a topic of speculation, with rumours linking him to a summer exit, including interest from none other than Atletico.
This season, the 28-year-old defender has played in seven of Manchester United's first nine matches, with the club managing only two victories during that stretch.
